Meet Joe Black (1998)

A media mogul acts as a guide to Death, who takes the form of a young man to learn about life on Earth and in the process, fall in love with his guide's daughter.

Director:

Martin Brest

Writers:

Ron Osborn (screenplay), Jeff Reno (screenplay),

Stars:

Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Pitt	...	Joe Black / Young Man in Coffee Shop
Anthony Hopkins	...	William Parrish
Claire Forlani	...	Susan Parrish
Jake Weber	...	Drew
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Allison
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Quince
David S. Howard	...	Eddie Sloane
Lois Kelly-Miller	...	Jamaican Woman
Jahnni St. John	...	Jamaican Woman's Daughter
Richard Clarke	...	Butler
Marylouise Burke	...	Lillian
Diane Kagan	...	Jennifer
June Squibb	...	Helen
Gene Canfield	...	Construction Foreman
Suzanne Hevner	...	Florist

Storyline

Bill Parrish, media tycoon, loving father and still a human being, is about to celebrate his 65th birthday. One morning, he is contacted by the Inevitable - by hallucination, as he thinks. Later, Death itself enters his home and his life, personified in a man's body: Joe Black has arrived. His intention was to take Bill with him, but accidentally, Joe's former host and Bills beautiful daughter Susan have already met. Joe begins to develop certain interest in life on earth as well as in Susan, who has no clue who she's flirting with.

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Plot Keywords:

death | love | media mogul | birthday | toast | 

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Taglines:

He's Expecting You.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for an accident scene, some sexuality and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Universal

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Joe Black

Filming Locations:

Aldrich Mansion - 836 Warwick Neck Avenue, Warwick, Rhode Island, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£986,511 (UK) (15 January 1999)

Gross:

£3,087,979 (UK) (5 February 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, City Light Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

178 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During Bill and Susan Parrish's last scene together, the orchestra plays an arrangement of "What a Wonderful World." First recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1968, the song has become a standard. Armstrong's recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

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Goofs

The exterior shots of the helicopter are of a Sikorsky S-76. However, the interior shots are of a larger helicopter, possibly something equivalent to a Sikorsky S-92 (the executive model S-76 typically has only 2 rows of rear seats that face each other).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Construction Foreman: Please. Please. Don't worry. Don't worry.
Allison: It's utter chaos around here. And I'm terrified we're running out of time. Am I trying to be too perfect?

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Connections

Referenced in Beethoven's 3rd (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Cheek To Cheek"
Written by Irving Berlin

User Reviews

The perfect movie when you are alone on Valentine's Day

This is a really great movie , that you have to watch glimpses of first. You have to see parts , you have to be non-interested, "oh this is just another bad brad Pitt movie", but you watch parts over and over , because Anthony Hopkins is one of the greatest actors of all time. I can't believe watching this movie on Valentine's day how empathetic Anthony Hopkins is , how terrible he is as Hannibal Lechter. This is a great movie, you must come to love. You must watch it and think nothing of it. Then watch it again some time later, you will begin to understand it. You will begin to understand how wonderful this movie, How true it is. How absolutely real and caring the movie is. It combines life, death, love, and greed for all things. To love someone and what love is , truly is defined in the movie. It is a wonderful movie to watch on Valentine's Day when you are alone, when nothing is clear, when you are in the dumps have no one, when pain is all you feel and all your loved ones are separated by time and space. When I was alone today Feb 14th 2005, I enjoyed this movie, I suggest you watch so you too can not be alone.